The invention relates generally to a system and method for reducing noise within a refrigeration system.
Certain refrigeration and air conditioning systems generally rely on a chiller to reduce the temperature of a process fluid, such as water, to produce chilled process fluid. Air may pass over the chilled process fluid in an air handler and circulate throughout a building or other application to be cooled. In typical chillers, the process fluid is cooled by an evaporator that absorbs heat from the process fluid by evaporating refrigerant within the evaporator. The refrigerant may then be compressed in a compressor and transferred to a condenser, such as an air cooled condenser. In an air cooled condenser, the refrigerant is cooled by air and condensed into a liquid. Air cooled condensers typically include a condenser coil and a fan that induces airflow over the coil. The amount of airflow over the coil may be varied by either adjusting the speed of the fan, or in multiple fan configurations, by staging the fans. Staging involves selectively operating fans associated with certain condenser coils. A combination of staging and varying fan speed may also be employed.
Operation of the condenser fans and the compressor induces the refrigeration system to emit acoustical noise. Certain local ordinances may prescribe maximum acoustical noise limits for equipment located on land within a particular commercial or residential zone. Unfortunately, the process of selecting a refrigeration system that conforms to desired operational parameters, such as efficiency, capacity and acquisition cost, may result in a refrigeration system that exceeds the prescribed maximum acoustical noise limits when operated efficiently. Consequently, the refrigeration system may be operated within an inefficient regime to conform to the noise limits, thereby increasing costs associated with operation of the refrigeration system.